Stages
by Foxyinthecity
Summary: John Sheppard wonders what is the next stage in his relationship with Teyla and Atlantis faces a possible new threat.
1. Chapter 1

Title: **Stages**

Characters: John, Teyla, team, and others...

Episode: possible events after EATG

Disclaimer: Sadly, Stargate Atlantis and its characters are not my own. I make no profit, only for fun.

Comment: This fic was done for **Jeyla4ever **for this past Christmas' Beya's Secret Elf. I would encourage you guys to check out the others fics posted in Beya for the Secret Elf as well as the artworks. Jeyla wanted John and Teyla in either an establish relationship or developing with a happy ending but nothing cheesy. I also took some elements from the SGA novel, Homecoming that I am still reading. I will be posting all of the chapters this week.

Chapter 1 - Debate

John was draped over the railing of the catwalk in the East Tower. He had been out running for a little exercise, but mostly he wanted some time to think alone. He wasn't sure how long he had been standing on the catwalk because he was too busy wondering what was the next step in his relationship with Teyla and thinking about the next stages of his life.

He was thinking about marriage and babies which had been a little disconcerting for him since he never thought he would want to try the marriage thing again especially after his first marriage to Nancy had failed so badly. But that was exactly what he was thinking of doing and those old doubts of his were like swords slicing through his resolve.

There weren't many things that he feared or made him cautious, but this was one of the few things that made him a little of both. As a solider he wasn't afraid or cautious about anything especially dying. He's had to face death too many times to count the last few years, in two different galaxies and he had survived, not totally unscathed, for he still carried some of scars from his many brushes with death, but he had survived those experiences.

Nor was he planning to be reckless and put himself in harm way any time soon if he could help it now that Atlantis was back in the Pegasus Galaxy. The Wraith had proven that they were still very much a threat even with their once formable dominance in the galaxy severely weaken, and the Wrath, themselves had broken into fighting fractions. Those fractions had proven to be troublesome when not fighting each other during the past several months upon Atlantis return to the Pegasus Galaxy.

But for him for the first time in a long time, he didn't want to be that guy who didn't care if he went on a suicide mission and not because he feared dying. He would still gladly fight and if need be give his life for the people he cared for, for the people he loved, but his view and the focus of his life were much different from the man who walked through the Stargate seven years ago. His life had changed so much this past year. He was at a stage in his life that he was happy, truly happy and he didn't want to mess things up.

He was in a happily committed relationship with Teyla and he considered Teyla and Torren as his family. Torren may not be his biological kid, but in all the ways that matter, Torren was his son. He didn't think he could love Torren more even if Torren were his biological son.

He was helping to raise Torren because Torren spent the majority of the time on Atlantis with Teyla except for the conflicting missions or scheduled visits with his father. And what had surprised him was how much he had loved and enjoyed spending time with Torren and of course that had started him wondering what it would be like if he and Teyla actually had a kid together along with the "m" word.

Ooo

John sat back in his chair, staring blankly at the small black velvet box on his desk next to his laptop. Was he really going to do this? Was he really ready for this kind of commitment? It was a pretty big step.

Then again he hadn't though he and Teyla would be where they were now considering he had thought that he had lost any kind of chance with Teyla once he'd learned of her pregnancy and relationship with Kanaan. And once Kanaan had begun to live on Atlantis with Teyla after they'd rescued him and rest of Teyla's people from Michael even their friendship had seem in jeopardy.

John frowned at the last thought, the last thing he wanted to do right now was to think about was unpleasant memories of the past. Memories that included Teyla with Kanaan or what Michael's obsession with Teyla had caused. All that matter was he had gotten a second chance with Teyla.

John reached across his desk for the box. Opening the box slowly, then looking at the engagement ring he had gotten Teyla for the first time. It was one thing to see it on a website on his computer screen, but holding it in his hand was more profound. The ring was beautiful and yet understated. It was the best he could do soon quickly. He had called in a couple of favors. He was able to get a Knife Edge Diamond ring in white gold with help from his brother, Dave. Right now, Dave was the only one who knew about the ring and he wanted to keep it that way for now, not that he didn't trust Rodney and Ronon to keep his secret. Well he trusted Ronon to keep the secret. Rodney wasn't exactly known for keeping his mouth shut or secrets for that matter.

John studied the ring, his finger tracing the cut of the diamond. The one thing he felt most certain of was that he knew he wanted Teyla in his life, not just for the present, but for the long term. And he wanted Teyla to see it the same way too. And maybe that was the part that was freaking him out the most was how much he wanted that.

0oo

Teyla looked at John questioningly for a moment. She thought that John had been acting really strange all evening on one of the rare occasions she and John actually got to eat dinner alone in her quarter. John was usually flirty in these moments because it was so rare they got to be alone like this. So she had been excited about the prospect of tonight. She had been looking forward to her and John enjoying each other. But right now John seemed like he was a million miles away.

"John is everything okay?"

Teyla heard herself asked John as she put down her knife and fork on the small table next to her half eaten plate of food.

"Huh?" John replied looking a little bit surprised.

"I'm okay. Why you asked?"

"Because you are very quiet tonight. You seem distracted. Are you sure that nothing is wrong," Teyla asked.

"No, no everything fine Teyla." John answered in a reassuring tone before smiling wryly at her.

Teyla's brows arching told John she didn't quite believe him. John shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Teyla frowned slightly, but said nothing to him. Teyla felt that there was definitely something going on with John, but she wouldn't press him just yet about it. She wanted John to tell her what was bothering him on his own so for now she wouldn't press the matter.

Teyla reached for her glass of ice tea, giving John a soft smile. John looked at her seriously for a moment before he spoke.

"Ah, hmmm… Teyla actually I do want to talk to you about something."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Proposal**

With the pretense of him eating completely over now, John sat back away from the table. He couldn't enjoy his food even if he had wanted too. His stomach was tied up in knots. He was excited and apprehensive at the same time. He could feel his heart rate increasing - the perspiration forming on his brow.

"Ah, hmmm… Teyla actually I do want to talk to you about something," John said.

"Alright." Teyla replied leaning forward in her chair, placing her glass of ice tea back on the table, studying John as she did so.

Teyla knew that look of John all too well. It was a look that told her even with John's earlier assurance everything was fine that he was not being exactly truthful. Not that she thought that John was lying to her either, but she could clearly see that John was holding something back. She knew there were some parts of John Sheppard that still remained elusive even with these years of sharing and experiencing so much together, but she knew John Sheppard as surely as she knew herself.

"John, are you sure nothing has happened," Teyla asked, laying her chin on her clasped hands that were resting on the table.

Teyla was beginning to wonder if something had happened within the City, believing any such news would have been apparent by now. Because she was all too familiar with how news in the City could spread like the scorch earth from a raging wildfire.

John gave Teyla a smile he hoped that didn't show his nervousness. The words in his head of what he wanted to say flowed freely, but to say the words out loud to Teyla weren't coming out as easy.

John stood up from his chair and when around to Teyla's side of the table. Kneeling in front of her, he took her hand.

"Teyla, everything is fine. I've just been thinking…ahh… I was wondering uhhh… I've been thinking… a lot about you and me."

"Ooo..kay"

Teyla didn't know what else to say at the moment. The way John was looking up at her had put her heart into a sprint, her hand tighten around John's hand.

"Teyla, I want …"

John heard that all too familiar sound in his on his headset radio before he continued with his proposal. He was being paged.

John sighed, his shoulders dropping slightly. It seems his not so subtle proposal to Teyla was being interrupted. Not that he thought it was going smoothly. He really wasn't comfortable with this kind of thing.

Still everyone knew he was off the clock, so for them to be calling him. It had to be important. John touched his headset radio. John gave Teyla an apologetic look as he stood up.

"Yes." John said keeping the frustration out of his tone.

"Colonel Sheppard, you're needed immediately in the Control Room." Chuck, the technician announced through the radio.

"What is it?"

"Colonel we have a new contact."

"What! I'm on my way." John advised Chuck.

Teyla stood up from the table. She and John exchanged looks.

"John?"

"Teyla we have a new contact."

John didn't try to hide the concern he was feeling from her. This wasn't news either one of them welcome. The new location of the City was not known to anyone even Teyla's people. Teyla knew whatever John was about to say to her would definitely have to wait now for these kinds of interruptions were nothing new, but this definitely was concerning news. But she still couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

"John I'm coming with you."

"Hopefully it's nothing. And we can continue our evening." John said trying to sound optimistic.

John saw that Teyla looked as doubtfully as he felt.

Ooo

"Sir the signal appeared on our long range sensors about five minutes ago." Chuck informed John and Teyla pointing to the moving object on to the screen.

"Does Woolsey know about this?" John asked, watching as the signal blink in and out on the screen, slowing moving on a direct course toward Atlantis's orbit.

"Yes sir." Chuck responded.

"Do we have any idea what it is?" John asked.

"We think it is some kind of ship." Chuck replied. "But we are not sure what kind Sir."

"It is not a heat signature we have seen before Sir."

John frowned up at the screen.

"Get Dr. McKay up here now." John ordered.

"Yes Sir."

Ooo

Rodney was checking his tablet while Mr. Woolsey and the others looked on.

"Well?" John asked.

"Excuse, I'm still working here." Rodney replied as he studied his tablet.

"Well work faster." John snapped.

"I am working as fast as I can. I'm not a miracle worker you know." Rodney snapped.

Teyla and Ronon looked at each other frowning.

Rodney tapped on his tablet a couple more times, then checking the consoles in front of Chuck before looking at John and the other in the Control Room."

"Well I don't think it is the Wraith. But if my readings are correct, these readings are from the same ship that attacked us on Daedalus in the other reality.

"How is that possible Rodney?" Teyla asked.

"I don't know!" Rodney answered defensively.

John gave Rodney a stern looked.

"Dr. McKay so you are saying that this ship could be these aliens?"

"Yes."

"The aliens that attacked you, Colonel Sheppard and the others on Daedalus."

"Yes that is what I'm saying." Rodney looked down at his tablet as if he was checking his findings.

"Then they could pose a serious."

"I got shot remember!" Rodney yelled out.

Everyone in the Control Tower turned to look at Rodney.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Disagreements/Understanding

Ronon saw that there were a great deal of concern on the faces of Sheppard and the others, like the others he had recalled their encounter with the drones in the other reality. The drones had looked like male humanoid with grey skin, wearing dark grey outfits. The drones had no hair and had red glowing implants on the side of their foreheads.

There weren't many things that physically over power him, but one of the humanoid drones had done just that in their encounter. Ronon could still remember the physicality within which he fought the drone and to no avail. His repeated punches to the drone face having no effect as the drone snarled at him while tightening its hold around his throat. For the first time in a long time that he could recall feeling, he felt fear.

"Colonel Sheppard." Mr. Woolsey began.

"Yes sir.""Colonel, I suggested you get a team together and take a jumper for an intercept course."

"I'm on it." John nodded to Mr. Woolsey and then motioning to the others to follow him because he had been thinking the same too.

Ooo

John stopped Teyla as they exited the Control Tower, pulling her aside. Waiting as the others walked ahead of him and her.

"Teyla I think you should sit out this mission. I want you to stay on Atlantis," John said.

The reasons he wanted Teyla to stay in City were complicated and sound so he thought. He wasn't sure if they would have to engage the drones in a fight. They knew next to nothing about the drones other than that they seemed to be some kind of species of humanoid and that the drones seemed to have incredible strength and had proven just as difficult to be taken out as the Wraith. He didn't know what kind of ship was awaiting them in orbit. If they had to engage the drones' ship and the outcome was not a good one, that he would preferred knowing that Teyla was safe on Atlantis. Teyla could be a big help to Mr. Woolsey in running the city if it came to that.

While Atlantis was on Earth, he noticed that Mr. Woolsey and Teyla had seemed to develop a working rapport with each together. Maybe it was the fact that Teyla could relate to Mr. Woolsey being the leader of Atlantis as she had with Elizabeth. Teyla's knowledge of the Pegasus galaxy and her contacts throughout the different planets in the system would be beneficial in securing much needed help and goods for Atlantis or help them survived on another planet should they need to abandoned the City. And yes maybe in the back of his mind, it was also a way of trying to make sure Teyla would be safe. Well safe as can be with so many unknown variables facing them at the moment. And looking at Teyla he saw she wasn't happy with his decision.

ooo

Looking up at John, Teyla didn't try to hide the frustration she was feeling at John. There were not many things that she and John fought or disagree about, but this always seemed to one of few things that always seemed to put her at odds with John for all the years they have known each other.

Before having Torren, being pregnant with Torren and now being a mother there was always this constant with John. It was his need to try to protect her. And at times, it had greatly annoyed her. She had often had to point out to him that she had been on dangerous missions before and probably would be again, no matter how a mission may seem routine at the time. For this had been life she had chosen, the life she had lived before she had ever met him.

"John I really feel I can be of some help…"

"Teyla I am sure you would be, but we don't know what we may find out there."

"I understand that John but I think…"

"Teyla please, I need you here should anything happened. Mr. Woolsey is going to need your help if we don't make it back."

"John…" She stopped the words dying on her tongue. Maybe it was the concern she had heard in John's voice or the way he was looking at her that stopped her from pressing him further.

"Alright," she finally said. But she was not unable to hide her disappointment from him while he seemed relieved that she had agreed to stay without anymore fuss. The gravity of the situation was not lost on her and she saw the concern that John was trying hard to hide.

"Please be careful." She couldn't hide the concern from her voice.

"You know I will." John replied back with feeling, but instead of walking away right then he seemed to linger, he gave her a look as if he was going to said something else, but thought better of it. There was an uncomfortable silence that descended between them before John broke the silence.

"Gotta go."

"I know," she said softly.

John's eyes seemed to search hers and she hoped he could see in her eyes all the things she could not say to him at this moment, the things both of them found hard to say to one another at times. She wanted him to see the love that she felt him. She wanted him to know that she knew he would do whatever it took to make sure everyone was fine and that she wanted him back in one piece. Standing there looking up at John it felt like an eternity but it couldn't have been more than a few seconds she allowed her natural reserved manner to splintered.

These goodbyes were nothing new but this felt somehow different. The way John was looking down at her told her he felt it too. For a moment, she found herself leaning into John the need to kiss him suddenly as strong as the power of a magnet pulling them together. She wasn't sure which one of them pulled back away from the other first. She and John had always tried to avoid any kind of public display of affection between them until now.

There were still staff on duty even with the lateness of the evening and she suspected others will be called on duty soon with this new threat so there were a few people walking about the City. And this part of her relationship with John had been kept private, for both she and John were private people in general, but their relationship had came with complications for John. Because the Earth's military had a fraternization policy about teammates being involved in any kind of relationship, her relationship with John had been kept discreet although it was now common knowledge among the everyone in the City she was sure of it.

And even though she and John had worked really hard for their relationship not be a distraction or complication to John or the team. It was eventually decided that the best decision was that she would no longer be an active member of John's team. So

John had assigned her to be a member of Major Lorne's team which did allowed her in many instances to work together with John and her other former teammates on a number of missions without raising ire of the military for John's sake.

She saw John pursed his lips together and then turned and walk away. As she watched as John walked away to catch up with the others, sighing, she felt torn.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Goodbyes

Wondering whether she should have push John more about going on the mission. But just as the times beforewith these kinds of disagreements with John, she had always respected John's authority even in those instances when she may not always agree with his decisions. Today had been no different. There were certain battles she had chosen not to fight with John and this was one of them. She understood and respected John's choices and knew this was John's way of trying to protect her too. He was making sure she would be there for Torren.

Things had been a lot different before Torren. Where there was a time, she could freely, willing without hesitation face death, giving her life for anyone of her teammates - regrettably that no longer held true anymore. Her decisions no longer just affected her but the life of her son. So she could not willing put her life in danger although she did not fear dying in battle. Her decisions now had to include thoughts of her son. Her son's wellbeing had to be her first propriety. John had recognized those changes in her life before she had.

She had already put her son's life in jeopardy before he was even born with her encounter with the Wraith's queen on the Hive's ship. That experience had taught her a valuable lesson and made her realized that her life was no longer her own.

But as long as the Wraith existed and there were threats or any danger from their enemies, she would fight without hesitation to give Torren a future that was so unlike her own past, a future, she hadn't thought possible a few years ago. That was a death she did not hesitate from and would gladly embrace. So although she was a Torren's mother, sitting on the sidelines in any battle was not who she was.

0oo

In the Jumper, Major Lorne was in the co-pilot seat while Ronon sat in the seat directly behind Major Lorne as Rodney sat in the seat directly behind John's and a couple of marines sat in the back compartment of the Jumper. Teyla and Mr. Woolsey were in the Control Room observing.

"We're ready to launch," John announced.

"Alright Colonel," Mr. Woolsey responded.

"Teyla."

"Yes John I'm here."

"Remember no..."

"I know. No wild parties while you all are gone."

Mr. Woolsey looked over at Teyla as everyone in the Control Room who hear her comment chuckled. No one on Atlantis had to tell him they thought he was a staid guy. There was not many people in the City who thought wearing a suit and tie as changing into something more comfortable or relaxing. He was a bureaucratic among scientists and military personnel on Atlantis. That why most nights, he found himself in his quarters, often wearing one of his suits, listening classical music or maybe an opera, with a glass red wine or maybe a book or on those rare occasions maybe sharing the occasional stogie with the Colonel Sheppard. But he can't say that he ever attended a wild party. But right now the thought of a wild party held a great deal more of appeal than their current predicament.

"After all, it wouldn't be fair," John said satirically.

"Well we will try to contain ourselves as usual." Teyla retorted then shaking her head of shear insanity of their conversation, but this kind of banter between her and John seem to work in these moments.

"Alright we're ready to go. We'll keep in radio contact for as long as possible." John advised.

"Colonel, I'm sure you will do what you have to do."

"Yes Sir."

"The shields."

"Be safe," Teyla said quietly to herself, watching as the Jumper Bay's opened.

0oo

As the Jumper Bay's doors opened, John could feel the Jumper already responding to his thoughts, the Jumper's systems coming online. He pressed the controls in front him and the Jumper began to rise to leave the Bay. As the Puddle Jumper climbed and headed toward the planet's orbit, John watched as the view of the City began to get smaller and smaller then eventually disappearing as the Puddle Jumper got closer and closer to the planet's orbit.

The view leaving the City from the Jumper was not of pristine water or of sunny blue skies, but of the large ice caps and snow had begun to fall again. The City new home so was vastly different from its previous two home planets. Atlantis new home was cold, sometimes extremely cold. Gone were the days that he and others would sit outside on the balcony to eat their meals. Soon it would get colder as the winter winds blew in. Atlantis would again become incase in sea ice instead of an azure blue sea.

In many ways the view reminded him of Antarctica. And yet his time in Antarctica seemed like such a long time ago. Antarctica had been a different stage in his life. At that point of his life he had felt like he was exiled, exiled from his family and from the military because he hadn't played by their rules when he had disobeyed a direct order from his superiors. Still it was an exile he had seemed to welcome until a chance encounter one crisp sunny afternoon in the skies of Antarctica. He couldn't see himself being contented with that kind of existence now. And this planet always seems to remind of those cold dreary days of the Antarctica.

He would gladly welcome a change of scenery for the City. He missed the days when the City was surrounded by azure seas. When they could sit out on the balcony and have their meals, flying the puddle jumper close to surface of the water and watching its reflection in the water. He really couldn't wait to say goodbye to this planet, but first he had to make sure he and his men made it back.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Drones

"Rodney was there anything in the Ancients' database about the drones," John asked while flying the jumper on an intercepted course to the drones' ship.

"No nothing. There were no mentions of them by the Ancients."

"So we don't have a clue where these drones came from," Ronon asked disbelievingly, still not too thrill by the possibility of having to face the drones but he was still ready for any fight.

"Hey, in a galaxy as big as this one, there could be billion of species of life for all we know," Rodney pointed out.

"So what you are saying Dr. McKay is that you still don't have any ideas or clues where these drones are from," Major Lorne challenged Rodney, albeit jokingly.

"Hello! I don't think any of you realize how many planets or civilizations that could exist in a single galaxy," Rodney said somewhat defensively.

John, Ronon and Major Lorne all look at Rodney as the marines in the back of the Puddle Jumper looked to see what was happening in the front of the Jumper.

"No I don't," Rodney admitted begrudgingly.

"Rodney could the drones be from a different reality," John asked wondering somehow that the ship may have come from a different reality like when they had first encountered the drones. The drones' ship had suddenly popped up on their long range sensors.

"Hmm that could be a possibility, but for that to happened then…" Rodney really didn't want to start to have to explain that form of space travel to John and the other men. "Or they could be from our reality and we just haven't had any contact with them before now," Rodney continued.

"And they never encountered the Ancients," said John disbelievingly. For it was believed by them that the Ancients had traveled far deep into space, to far end of the galaxy and to other galaxies. So it was hard to believe that Ancients hadn't encountered the drones.

"Or the Wraith," Ronon asked.

There wasn't much Rodney could say or confirmed because there was just not that much information about the drones in the Ancients' database.

"Well how long do you think before they'll reach Atlantis," John asked. They had been traveling for awhile now.

"From my calculation they are a day or two away from our location with their present speed and course."

"Do we know whether their ship came through a sub space window?"

"One wasn't detected by our scanners when they first appeared on our long range scanners."

0oo

John was watching drone's ship from the puddle jumper window contemplating whether they would they have to engaged the drones' ship before they reached the planet. The jumper was cloaked and he had been flying the Puddle Jumper in a flank position, but from a safe distance. And it seemed the drones' ship hadn't detected their present. And that was the good part. The bad part was that the ship was almost identical to the ship that had attacked Atlantis while they had watched from the Daedalus in that alternate reality. This ship had the samevaguely X-shaped symbol on its outer hull as before. It was still debatable whether that symbol was the ship's name or a representation of the drones' race.

The drones were a fascinating species even to him. He just didn't want to have to make first contact with them now. So far their only interaction with the drones thus far hadn't been a good one. Man! He wished he had a chance to ask the alternate Sheppard about these drones. Like why the drones were attacking Atlantis? They had jumped from one reality to another and right into a firefight between the drones' ship and Atlantis.

Then he saw something that got his attention.

"Rodney what is that," he asked pointing to the anomaly.

Rodney and the others looked out the Puddle Jumper's window to see where John was pointing at in front of the drones' ship.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Questions

John looked around the room from the wall he was leaning up against by the doors. The science lab was crowded with scientists and technicians. This many scientists in a room weren't usually a good thing or usual thing when it came to meetings in Atlantis. And that was the case now. The concern about the drones attacking Atlantis was now replaced with concerns. Rodney, Radek and the other scientists were in the room discussing the anomaly they had seen. The drones' ship had disappeared in front of them and the scientists and technicians were trying to determine the cause.

There had been various speculations as to the cause. He had heard speculation from it being some kind of small black hole, a rip in the space-time continuum or was it the space-time fabric? He was pretty sure he heard both names the last day or so. It was pretty hard to keep up with all the techno babble in the room or that many voices trying to talk all at once.

He had the basic understanding of what a black hole was or a rip in the space-time continuum. The first one the likelihood of ever being seen again was remote and the other, a way to travel between dimensions. So out there could be some kind of black hole between the drones' world and theirs or a rip in the fabric of space-time, some kind of gateway between different dimensions. It wasn't like they hadn't had some experience with other dimensions before. The attacked on Earth had occurred because of a message from another dimension with Earth's locations. And there were no way of knowing how many realities had been affected by that one message from that one reality.

Right now, while Rodney and others scientists were trying to determine the exact cause of the disappearance of the drones' ship, they were left in limbo - not that he wasn't happy that they were spared a confrontation with the drones' ship for the time being because the possibility still existed that this may not be the last time they would encounter the drones because they didn't know whether the drones' ships had the capability to travel between dimensions.

Rodney, Radek and the other scientists will have to determine whether the possible black hole or rip could pose a significant problem to them in the future. There will have to be a close monitoring of that area of space from now on. Because there was much they still didn't know about the formation of galaxies. Until there was some kind of data to explain what happened all they could do is just take a wait and see approach.

He stepped away from the wall he had been leaning on. He was tired and he wanted to find Teyla. He hadn't seen that much of Teyla since they had returned to the City. Teyla hadn't left on her scheduled visit to her people to pick up Torren from Kanaan. He wasn't sure if Teyla wanted to get Torren from New Atho with the uncertainty hanging over the City at the moment. He knew Teyla didn't like being away from Torren for too long. He had missed Torren too. But he suspected that Teyla would leave Torren in the custody of her people until they knew more.

John touched his radio.

0oo

Teyla pulled the two sides of her green fabric jacket together. The view of the city from this high up was beautiful, but it was also very cold as she stood on the outside balcony. The snow had stopped falling, but not before it had covered parts of the City in a sea of white. Although this view held its own beauty, she felt nothing could compare to the City's previous planets' view. The array of colors as the sun rose upon the City or the warmth from the sun after a cool night. Or the way, the rays from sun glisten off the water of the ocean. She had love spending time with Torren while the City was on Earth. She could take him to play on one of the outside balconies or one of the City's piers. Sadly this new planet had diminished that and much of the City's outdoor activities.

She heard the doors to the balcony opened. She turned around and saw John walking toward her. She couldn't hide her pleasure of seeing him. She hadn't seen that much of John since him and the others had returned to the City with the news of the drones' ship disappearance.

"Could we not have met inside where it was a little warmer," she asked.

John stopped in front of her with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, we could have. But it wouldn't have given me an excuse to do this." His head descending as his lips sought hers as he pulled her into his waiting arms. She gladly surrendered. At first the kiss was light then it became increasingly demanding. Before she lost all thoughts of rationale she heard John guttural something as his arms tightening around her.

TBC


End file.
